The trade of goods independent of ration cards (for food, bread, vegetables). Since ration cards were introduced, all food distributed in shops and at marketplaces (“colonial goods” )


[Kolonialwaren], meat, and dairy shops, and vegetables markets) has been subject to rationing. Only temporarily, the shops were entitled to provide certain quantities of goods regardless of ration cards (usually up to 5 kg per person). Until the summer of 1943, it applied mostly to vegetables such as spinach, beetroot, etc. Later, grocery shops were allowed to sell washing soda and coffee blend without ration cards. Free trade of vegetables lasted only a short time because the supply has always been insufficient. The price of vegetables in free trade far exceeded that of rationed products, but was still, however, much lower than on the black market. On February 22, 1944, free trade of coffee blend was banned by the Eldest of the Jews. Laborers who were hiding to avoid work used coffee blend as food, so it was an attempt to force them out of their hideouts.